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Antique Victorian Furniture

Victorian antique furniture refers to pieces made during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), and includes both mass produced pieces and those hand crafted in small shops by designers such as Herter Brothers, Allen and Brother, Merklen Brothers, John Henry Belter, Alexander Roux and R.J. Horner.

Although some designers like George Hunzinger put labels or stamps on all their furniture, many did not, so attributing a Victorian piece conclusively can require lots of research. In terms of wood, walnut is generally inferior to rosewood, which was used on higher end pieces.

There are many, and very different, Victorian furniture styles. In fact, famous Victorian designer Charles Eastlake himself hated Rococo, which is mid 1850s Victorian. Here are some of the main Victorian styles:

1) Gothic Revival (circa 1830-1860). Think churches and you have a good feel for this furniture style - design elements such as arches, quatrefoils, trefoils, spires, and crockets.

2) Rococo Revival (c. 1840-1865). High-style furniture of French influence marked by use of naturalistic flora (flowers, shells) and fruit as well as C-scrolls and S-scrolls, and highly sinewy curved lines.. Early pieces may have used mahogany, but common Rococo often used Walnut, while the top-end leveraged Rosewood.

3) Renaissance Revival (c. 1860-1890). Reverses the feminine elegance of Rococo around the time of the Civil War by espousing masculine arches, cartouches, animal and human figures, inlaid panels, burl panels, gilt incising, and ormulu mounts. Subgenres include Egyptian Revival, Modern Gothic, and Neo-Grec.

Recent News: Victorian Furniture

New Ownership and Strong Victorian Sales for Farmer

Maine Antique Digest, March 3rd

The high lot of the sale came from a category that we are now beginning to see come to life—Victorian furniture. A John Henry Belter parlor table with its original marble turtle top sold for $29,900 (includes buyer's premium) against a presale...Read more

Everything at the historic Chalet Suzanne, from the land to furnishings ...

ABC Action News, February 26th

"I'm very interested in the Victorian furniture, some of the settees they have," Kieswetter said. Ron Bauman is hoping to snatch up items that'll help him remember a place he has grown to love. "Some of the lamps and pictures, mirrors," Bauman said...Read more

White House repairs and remodels and how much they cost

azcentral.com, February 25th

But he kept changes to a minimum. He removed Victorian furniture and decorations, moved a staircase, added bathrooms and an elevator, and added electric lights to replace old gaslight fixtures. RELATED: Is an island floating in the kitchen of your dreams?...Read more

Rosie on the House: The White House is really your house as well

TriValley Central, February 23rd

He removed Victorian furniture and decorations, moved a staircase, added bathrooms and an elevator, and added electric lights to replace old gaslight fixtures. When Harry Truman became president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt died, the White House had ...Read more

A Dive Bar Queen's Growing Empire

LA Downtown News Online, February 9th

Patrons enter off Fifth Street, where the front bar is decked out with chandeliers, an oversized mirror and Victorian furniture. A zigzagging hallway leads to the back bar with the fountain and walls lined with shutters and distressed windows. The 150...Read more

Marotta: Surviving the trauma of kitchen remodeling

Milford Daily News, February 2nd

I loved watching all this and scarcely minded cooking in the dining room, so bursting with canned goods and hotplates and thick-legged Victorian furniture that it really does look, as my sister said on seeing it for the first time, like an apartment in...Read more

Marotta: The kitchen remodeling blues

Westford Eagle, February 2nd

I loved watching all this and scarcely minded cooking in the dining room, so bursting with canned goods and hotplates and thick-legged Victorian furniture that it really does look, as my sister said on seeing it for the first time, like an apartment in...Read more

New Orleans Restaurant Lands in Alexandria Hotel

LA Downtown News Online, February 2nd

The Little Easy held its grand opening Saturday, Jan. 31. The New Orleans-themed bar offers cajun favorites and and a full bar. The interior design includes a fountain in the middle of the bar, iron work and lots of victorian furniture. AC Martin - In...Read more